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Fred Vasseur says Ferrari have to keep bringing upgrades âto every raceâ to maintain their development momentum through the rest of the 2026 season. Vasseur said: "For sure, each time they are finding something, they are making a huge gain, but we have a different approach, trying to bring parts to every race, and we have to keep this momentum because there are still 12 races to go."
Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto says the 2026 rules have not made previously fast drivers slow, insisting the leading names are still competitive because adapting is part of being a Formula 1 driver. Bortoleto said: "Do you see Verstappen being slow? Do you see a seven-time world champion being slow this year? Do you see Leclerc being slow? I don't see them being slow. I still see them very competitive. So I wouldn't say fast drivers are slow... it's still racing."
Esteban Ocon says his 2019 season as Mercedesâ reserve driver was âtoughâ and left him in tears after he was told he would not get to test until July. Ocon said: "I asked Shov [trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin], I think in Melbourne, I asked him, 'When am I supposed to test?', because I was supposed to have a lot of testing. And he said, 'Oh, you are going to test in July' or something... I remember I went back to the rental car and I cried, because for me driving was going to be super important to get ready for the following year."
Oliver Bearman says Lewis Hamiltonâs return to race-winning form at Ferrari is ânot idealâ for his own hopes of one day securing a seat at the team. Bearman said: "As an F1 fan and a Lewis fan as well, it's pretty cool to see him performing at the level he is. Seeing him on the top step in Barcelona was quite a special moment for British F1 in general. Of course, in terms of my future, that's not ideal. But I'm still young. I'm only 21. I'm not in a huge rush, and for me, staying at Haas for the foreseeable is not a bad thing."
Lando Norris says Formula 1 needs âbigger changesâ over the next few seasons as drivers and teams look for a better balance under the 2026 regulations. Norris said: "We've made some good progress this year already, and we know bigger changes will need to come across the next few seasons. We all know that if we can make the racing as exciting as possible, we can make the sport even more enjoyable for the fans, and that's what we're working towards achieving."
Oscar Piastri marked the four-year anniversary of his infamous social media statement rejecting Alpineâs announcement that he would race for the team by posting a dry message on X: âThanks for all the anniversary messages.â The original 2022 post read: âI understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release⊠I will not be driving for Alpine next year,â with the subsequent dispute later decided in McLarenâs favour by the Contract Recognition Board.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says Lando Norrisâ new level of confidence is the result of a longer-term âtrajectoryâ of work by Norris and his engineers to give him a car he can trust, after the reigning world championâs win at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Stella said: "I think that was an important point for Lando himself, and for the team working with Lando, to understand in which area we needed to improve to offer a car that Lando could trust, could drive without having to think too much, but, at the same time, it was also an opportunity to reflect on mindset, approach to racing, expectation, and emotional control. So I think it was an improvement in a very organic and holistic way for the driver and for the team around the driver."
Red Bull technical director Pierre WachĂ© said the teamâs slow start to the 2026 season is down to rivals doing a better job over the winter, as well as Red Bullâs 2025 driversâ championship fight going to the last race. WachĂ© said: "At the end, I think some others just did a very good job. For sure, we fought until the end, and like the other team, McLaren, I think we are a little bit behind, both of us, based on what we did last year."
Isack Hadjar says Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen is operating at a âdifferent levelâ on race days. Hadjar said: "I would say Max has been very impressive on Sundays, all around. I think my one-lap pace has been pretty good, but how well he is managing the races is on a different level, so that's what I'm focusing on working on."
Laurent Mekies says Red Bull will soon have to decide how it balances development between this season and next, with the team expecting to slow its upgrade rate after the summer break. Mekies said: "I don't know about the other guys, [but] what is sure is that at some stage, we'll need to make a call on the balance between this year and next year. I expect that to happen earlier than we did last year. So, especially as the regulations are what they are, we will decide. It's probably difficult to imagine that we will continue at that rhythm."
Toto Wolff says Mercedes has weighted its W17 upgrade plan towards the second half of the season and needs to be âstrategicâ about when it introduces new parts. Wolff said: "We just need to be really strategic about when to bring the upgrades. When do we think they will have the biggest impact on performance, rather than just throwing it in at every grand prix like in the past; you cannot do this. We have tried to have it a little bit more second half of the season weighted. Let's see if this is enough."
Lewis Hamilton says learning karate as a child gave him the discipline and confidence to deal with âbulliesâ at race tracks, after discussing the subject at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Hamilton said: "Karate really gave me that confidence to be able to handle myself and handle those bullies. And then when I got to the racetrack, the same thing. Bullies are there, so I think it just enabled me to understand myself, understand the power that I have within, and how to utilise it for good rather than negative."
Lando Norris says he feels he is doing a better job this season than during his title-winning campaign last year, but admits it âhurtsâ that it has not automatically translated into race wins. Norris said: "Although it kind of hurts me saying it because it doesn't mean that you just win, I feel like I'm doing a better job this year than I was last year, and I have done for a little while. It just doesn't mean you win the race."
Max Verstappen says Red Bull is not in a ârebuildâ despite a series of high-profile departures, insisting the teamâs structure remains strong and it is only âfine-tuningâ. Verstappen said: "I wouldn't call it rebuilding. There's nothing really to rebuild because there is a very strong structure in the team that keeps on going. It's not like a few people left and everyone doesn't know what to do anymore, you know, so I don't call it rebuilding. It's just fine-tuning."
Valtteri Bottas said Cadillacâs repeated brake fires have been caused by the brakes running too hot, after he suffered another fire at the Hungarian Grand Prix despite the team bringing new front brake ducts. Bottas said: "So, the brakes, they just get too hot, and it gets to the point that inside everything starts to burn. And that obviously destroys everything. Actually, on the in lap, I lost the brakes fully because I think the brake lines must have burned. So, that's why I had to stop the car against the wall."
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says the teamâs step forward in competitiveness at the Hungarian Grand Prix can be entirely put down to the upgrade package it brought for the MCL40, countering Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Restaâs view that other factors also played a part. Stella said: "I think the improvement, from a competitiveness point of view, can be entirely ascribed to the upgrades that we took here, which included several items. But at the same time, we were sort of thinking that this lap time step, not necessarily, would have been enough to be on pole position at the Hungaroring. Definitely we would have not thought that there would be enough to have such a strong pace in the race."
Max Verstappen says he could âeasily stopâ in Formula 1 but still loves racing, as he discussed his mindset heading into the summer break with Red Bull. Verstappen said: "I'm of course 28 years old, so it's a little bit different. I mean, of course I can easily stop, it's not a problem, but I love racing, and I'm just trying to deal with what we have, even though what we have at the moment is not what I like."
Alpine boss Flavio Briatore says Formula 1 teams could be worth $10bn within âthree, four yearsâ, as he pointed to how far valuations have risen since he sold his share in Benetton. Briatore said: "I sold my share in Benetton, and the value of the team was $80million. OK, now you're talking about $3.5billion, $4billion. And everybody's predicting, you're talking with these finance people, talking about, 'OK, Formula 1 in three, four years, the team is worth $10billion.'"
Fernando Alonso says he is ânot movingâ from Aston Martin, dismissing speculation about his future with the team. Alonso said: "For me, I'm relaxed. As I've said many times, I'm thinking I need to know what I do next year, and the years to come. I feel fresh, I feel motivated, I feel fast... I do have a contract, so I'm not moving!"
Carlos Sainz says he cannot give a date for a decision on his Formula 1 future but expects to sit down with Williams during the ongoing summer break to discuss it. Sainz said: "I honestly don't know. I cannot give you a date, but I imagine, as I always said, that I was going to wait until the summer to sit down with my team and think about this. Discuss with them, with James and everyone, the future of the team and my future in it."
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